CAD/CAM technology: you never know until you try

However, finding a less expensive lab is not always the best solution. I would worry the end product could be too much of a compromise, one we wouldn’t want for ourselves. But what if there was a new way, a better way, and a way that actually freed up cash flow and made our practices more efficient and profitable? I would think we would at least want to look into it and give it a try.

Throughout the years since 1985 when I first opened my practice, many changes have occurred, some of them with great success, while others were just gimmicks that faded away. Some of the greatest improvements came in the form of composite material, which allowed for greater esthetics as well as more conservative preparation. Other materials such as cements, impression materials, digital X-rays, intra-oral cameras and computers have transformed the way we do things exponentially.

The one thing now that seems to be difficult to assimilate into our practices is CAD/CAM technology. It’s been around for more than 20 years and, along the way, has had some dramatic changes and improvements take place. Yet for some reason, the reputation that it has from the past is sticking in the minds of some dentists, discouraging them from evaluating and realizing its current potential.

My analogy would be that of a young teenager you once knew who was always messing up. At the time when he was 16 or 17, you thought, “This guy’s never going to amount to anything!” Then several years later you run into him and find out he’s graduated from college and become a compassionate, intelligent individual, (doctor, lawyer, businessman, whatever ...) who actually has outdone you, if you really were to compare.

To tell you the truth, my analogy is actually a true story, one that happened to me.

With that being said, sometimes we just don’t know a good thing when we see it. I encourage all of us as dentists to realize that now more than ever our profession is changing. Just like the wind that blows and is used to move sailboats across the water, technology is the wind that is already moving our profession in a direction faster than we realize.

In the past we hardly noticed a breeze and had no choice but to have our boats be towed by someone else (our dental labs). Now the wind is blowing exactly like it needs to (E4D CAD/CAM technology from D4D Technologies) — so strong that it’s time to untie ourselves from outside sources. The time has come to raise our sails, catch the wind and head for the mark of excellence and profitability where everyone can win.

About the author

Dr Jeffery W. Jones, a general dentist in New Braunfels, TX, USA, began practicing dentistry in the area after graduating from the University of Texas Health and Science Center in 1985. He is a recognized expert in the field of restorative and esthetic dentistry, and has trained at the world-renowned L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education. He also was recognized as a Texas Super Dentist 2006 by Texas Monthly.